The seven members of Shrek Academy stood in a straight line on the stage, quietly waiting. Dai Mubai's evil eyes carried an unprecedented seriousness as he stared ahead.
On the other side of the stage, seven figures slowly ascended as well. When Dai Mubai's gaze landed on the man walking at the front, two blazing lights erupted in his eyes.
The rest of the Shrek team also noticed the man. He had long golden hair cascading down his back, a lazy expression on his face, and his eyes shimmered with purple light,though they were not twin pupils.
His appearance was at least seventy percent similar to Dai Mubai's, though he was even taller and more muscular. Despite his casual demeanor, his smile still carried the bearing of someone in a position of power.
Behind him followed a tall young woman, nearly his height, with a voluptuous figure and skin like white jade. She too wore a faint smile, and even here in the arena she had her arm linked with his. The girl was stunningly beautiful, resembling Zhu Zhuqing even more than Dai Mubai resembled the man in front.
However, she lacked Zhu Zhuqing's usual coldness and instead radiated gentleness, making her beauty easier to accept.
The leading young man's gaze swept over Dai Mubai's face and he said calmly, "Mubai, I didn't expect you to really make it to the finals. The fact that you can stand here and challenge me face-to-face means you've already succeeded. But you should know that by doing this, you force me to strike you down."
Dai Mubai glanced at Ma Hongjun and the others smiling beside him and replied confidently, "Davis, drop the act. When have you ever stopped striking me down? Today, we're enemies on the field. If you want to talk, defeat me first. Otherwise, who inherits that position is far from certain."
Davis looked at him with slight surprise. "Oh? Our playboy has changed? Good. I want to see what you've learned all these years since leaving home, that you dare speak to your elder brother like this."
He clicked his tongue and then glanced at Zhu Zhuqing. "No wonder Zhuqing is with you too. Looks like you're truly ready to oppose us to the end."
When his gaze fell on Zhu Zhuqing, his eyes became more solemn. He exchanged a glance with the girl beside him, and a flash of cold light appeared in both of their eyes.
They had a martial soul fusion technique together, so Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing naturally did as well. The fusion technique was the reason the two families arranged their marriage in the first place. Now that Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing had appeared together, the outcome was self-explanatory.
But Davis and Zhu Zhuyun would never have imagined that Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing had long since changed completely from their former selves.
"Zhuqing, if I remember correctly, you're still under fifteen, right? To be able to enter this tournament at such a young age and make it this far,I don't know whether to call you lucky or powerful."
Zhu Zhuyun paused, then said softly, "But this is as far as you'll go. Zhuqing, Father and Mother miss you, but they can't defy the clan rules. After the match, come back with me."
Her voice was unlike Zhu Zhuqing's,it lacked coldness and carried a natural charm, easily pulling people in.
"Zhu Zhuyun, you don't need to pretend here. If I hadn't left home, I'd probably already be dead by your hands." Zhu Zhuqing's voice became colder.
"Miss me? In our family, does such a thing as affection even exist?"
For both Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing, Davis and Zhu Zhuyun were simply older versions of themselves. Though they shared blood ties, under the family's rules only one side could survive.
No matter the reason, they had to fight with everything they had,after all, who would willingly give up their life so easily?
The referee did not allow them to continue reminiscing. Seeing both teams in position, he announced, "Third round of the finals, first match: Shrek Academy versus Star Luo Royal Academy. Both sides, release your martial souls."
As his voice fell, Davis cast Dai Mubai a contemptuous look. "Let me show you the difference between us. White Tiger, possess!"
As soon as he spoke, his body swelled. His white tiger martial soul possessed him, his golden hair flaring as two yellow, two purple, and one black spirit ring rose around him.
Seeing the five rings, the crowd gasped. A Soul King? Wasn't the information that Davis was still at level 49? He had already become a Soul King?
Star Luo Royal Academy was already strong. Davis reaching Soul King level only made them even more formidable.
"Davis, martial soul: White Tiger, level fifty-one attack-type battle Soul King!"
But Dai Mubai was neither surprised nor afraid. He simply stared back calmly.
Davis was seven years older, already twenty-four. Reaching Soul King level was completely within Dai Mubai's expectations.
What's more, if Davis was a Soul King, then Dai Mubai was as well,at level fifty-five!
The other members of Star Luo Royal Academy also released their martial souls, all with the ideal two-yellow, two-purple ring configuration. Zhu Zhuyun's spirit power was as high as level forty-seven.
One Soul King and six Soul Ancestors,truly terrifying.
Hu Liena glanced at the two teams and said to her brother Xie Yue, "Brother, it looks like Shrek Academy might not be able to withstand Star Luo Royal Academy's offensive. That Oscar isn't even playing. Do they really think just one level fifty-five Dai Mubai can beat Star Luo?"
Xie Yue looked at Ma Hongjun and Ning Rongrong, who had not appeared in the previous intel reports, and said quietly, "Maybe…"
Before he could finish, the Shrek team released their martial souls.
As expected, Dai Mubai's rings were also two yellow, two purple, one black. When Davis saw Dai Mubai's five spirit rings, he froze on the spot.
"A Soul King?! At his age? Already level fifty? Impossible!" Davis and Zhu Zhuyun were both visibly shocked.
When they heard Dai Mubai's exact spirit power level, they felt as if the world no longer made sense.
"Dai Mubai, martial soul: White Tiger, level fifty-five attack-type battle Soul King."
And that wasn't all,Zhu Zhuqing's spirit power was level forty-six! Wasn't she still under fifteen? How had she cultivated so fast?
What had they experienced in the few years since leaving home? How could their progress be so terrifying?
Then came another shock,Ma Hongjun, the red-haired handsome man next to Dai Mubai, was also a Soul King!
Two yellow, two purple, one black rings appeared, and a blazing fire phoenix shadow rose behind him. A loud phoenix cry echoed across the arena, and the temperature noticeably rose.
"Ma Hongjun, martial soul: Evil Fire Phoenix, level fifty-five attack-type battle Soul King."
The entire Star Luo Royal Academy team was stunned. They thought with Davis breaking through to Soul King, they had a sure win. Now, seeing Shrek's lineup, their confidence wavered,they were too strong, unbelievably strong.
Even Xie Yue, who had just been criticizing Shrek Academy, was stunned silent when he saw Ma Hongjun's rings and martial soul.
Yan's face was no better. A single Shrek Academy having two level fifty-five Soul Kings,one of them with a top-tier Phoenix martial soul,was shocking.
No wonder Oscar hadn't fought yet. These two newcomers were not just replacements, they were Shrek's trump cards.
Meanwhile, Ning Rongrong's two yellow, two purple rings and the nine-tier pagoda in her hand didn't escape anyone's notice.
"A Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda? Two top-tier attack-type Soul Kings and a Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda soul master plus the others,has Shrek Academy really become this strong?"
"A level fifty-five Dai Mubai is already shocking enough, but they also have a level fifty-five Fire Phoenix?"
Ma Hongjun and Ning Rongrong's martial souls and spirit power left everyone speechless. Even Tang San, who had shone in the preliminary rounds, was almost overlooked.
Shrek Academy members then reported their levels one by one.
"Ning Rongrong, martial soul: Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, level forty-six support-type Soul Ancestor."
"Tang San, martial soul: Blue Silver King, level forty-five control-type battle Soul Ancestor."
"Xiao Wu, martial soul: Soft Bone Charm Rabbit, level forty-four attack-type battle Soul Ancestor."
"Tai Long, martial soul: Strength Gorilla, level forty-one attack-type battle Soul Ancestor."
Two Soul Kings and five Soul Ancestors,far more powerful than Star Luo Royal Academy. Some even thought Shrek Academy might rival Spirit Hall Academy.
Spirit Hall Academy had three Soul Kings, but all only around level fifty-one or fifty-two. Shrek's two Soul Kings were level fifty-five and backed by a Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda soul master!
Everyone knew the terrifying amplification power of the Seven Treasures Pagoda. Though they hadn't noticed that Ning Rongrong's pagoda had already evolved into the Nine Treasures Pagoda, its appearance still meant that Shrek's overall power would be fully unleashed.
The spectators were in awe. Among the top ten academies, Shrek was the only completely unknown one,meaning this was likely their first time entering the tournament, and yet they were this strong.
Zhu Zhuyun stared at Zhu Zhuqing in disbelief. "No, impossible. When you left home, you were barely over level twenty. How could you have broken through to Soul Ancestor in just a few years?"
Davis and Zhu Zhuyun had noticed Shrek in the finals, but subconsciously never considered their younger siblings real opponents.
After all, with the age gap and similar talent, how could they possibly catch up?
Even knowing Shrek had been first in the Heaven Dou Empire qualifiers didn't change their minds.
To them, their only real opponent was Spirit Hall Academy.
But now, seeing Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing's real strength, their hearts were shaken,and filled with killing intent.
The younger siblings had nearly caught up in just a few years. If given more time, who knew what the future would bring?
Dai Mubai looked coldly at Davis, reading that killing intent in his brother's eyes.
In terms of talent, Dai Mubai had always been slightly superior. His natural evil eyes made him stand out since birth, making him Davis's rival.
At this moment, though the match hadn't started yet, Dai Mubai felt immense satisfaction.
Since childhood, Davis had always looked at him with scorn, never treating him as a real opponent.
But now, Dai Mubai saw seriousness,and even a hint of fear,in Davis's eyes. And this was all earned by Dai Mubai's own strength.
The referee, though surprised by Shrek's lineup, focused only on maintaining order.
Seeing both sides ready, he called, "Match,begin!"
With that order, the highly anticipated battle began.
Two level fifty-five Soul Kings, five Soul Ancestors, a Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda soul master, plus Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing's martial soul fusion technique,only Davis himself knew how strong this opponent truly was.
Thus, he didn't dare to toy with Dai Mubai as in the original story. Instead, he used his full strength from the start.
Davis and Zhu Zhuyun's figures overlapped as a terrifying surge of soul power erupted. Four yellow, four purple, one black spirit rings rose skyward and fused into their merged figure.
When the light faded, a five-meter-long, three-meter-tall Nether White Tiger appeared, its pressure nearly reaching Soul Emperor level.
This was Davis and Zhu Zhuyun's martial soul fusion technique,the Nether White Tiger.
A level fifty-one soul master and a level forty-seven soul master using this fusion could rival a high-level Soul King, even threaten an ordinary Soul Emperor. This was Star Luo's trump card.
It had been meant for Spirit Hall Academy, but with Shrek showing such terrifying power, they dared not hold back. They had to eliminate all possibility of defeat.
Unlike the original story, Davis was not careless this time.
Seeing their fusion, Dai Mubai pulled Zhu Zhuqing into his arms. "Zhuqing, let's defeat them together. From today onward, we will fear nothing."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded softly. Their bodies merged, releasing four yellow, four purple, one black spirit rings. When the light faded, a massive beast identical in size to the Nether White Tiger appeared on the stage.
But this Nether White Tiger had wings and twin pupils, and its aura was even more oppressive than Star Luo's.
Though Zhu Zhuqing's level was slightly lower than Zhu Zhuyun's, Dai Mubai's level was three higher than Davis's.
The two Nether White Tigers roared and pounced at each other.
In the Shrek camp, Ma Hongjun cracked his neck and slapped Tai Long's shoulder. "Finally, I can loosen up."
With a flap, his massive six-meter fire wings unfurled, heat radiating outward. With a piercing phoenix cry, he soared into the air.
Tai Long, emboldened, pounded his chest and charged a buffalo martial soul soul master.
Xiao Wu turned into a pink blur, rushing toward Star Luo's two support-type soul masters.
Tang San smiled faintly, his Blue Silver King vines surging forward to entangle several opponents.
Ning Rongrong's pagoda shone brilliantly. "Nine Treasures have a name: First, strength. Second, speed. Third, soul power. Fourth, defense!"
Four beams of light entered the winged Nether White Tiger, boosting its power even further, allowing it to swat the opposing Nether White Tiger aside with a single claw strike.
Thanks to timely assistance from Star Luo's support soul masters, their Nether White Tiger managed to resist, but still struggled under the pressure.
Meanwhile, Tai Long received the strength boost, Xiao Wu the speed boost, and Ma Hongjun the soul power boost.
Ma Hongjun targeted a fire-element soul master with a Flame Lion martial soul and level forty-five spirit power.
Facing a Soul King ten levels above him, the Flame Lion soul master activated his first and third rings to boost himself, flames roaring across his body.
But Ma Hongjun didn't even use a soul skill,only his right hand turned into a blazing claw.
"Phoenix Nine Styles, Phoenix Burst Claw!"
The Flame Lion soul master countered with his second soul skill, Wild Lion Explosion!
Claw met fist in midair, but Ma Hongjun's raw power, bolstered by his dive, easily sent the Flame Lion soul master flying several meters back, pain shooting through his arm.
Before he could react, Ma Hongjun flared his wings and rushed in again.
He didn't use soul skills or even his flight advantage,he just fought with brute force.
After months of holding back while Dai Mubai took the spotlight, he was itching for a fight.
The Flame Lion soul master was miserable,the difference in strength was too great. Even with two buff skills active, he could barely withstand Ma Hongjun's raw power.
The same scene played out with the Buffalo soul master, who was completely suppressed by Tai Long thanks to Tang San's control.
Meanwhile, Xiao Wu had reached the two support soul masters. Just as she was about to strike, Star Luo's mirror martial soul soul master finally acted.
He activated his second and fourth rings, and several purple mirrors appeared before his teammates.
The suppressed fighters instantly vanished into the mirrors, and the Flame Lion soul master reappeared before Tai Long, while Tang San's Blue Silver King vines burned away.
The Buffalo soul master's defense was tough enough to bother Ma Hongjun.
The two support soul masters also vanished into the mirror world, leaving Xiao Wu with no target. She turned to attack the mirror martial soul soul master, but he only smiled at her and stepped into the mirror himself.
Thanks to this soul master's ability, Star Luo's battlefield pressure was greatly relieved.
Tang San activated his Purple Demon Eye, scanning the floating mirrors, trying to find the hidden soul master.
Space-type abilities were always troublesome,this one especially so.
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